Lazulis High
by ShitanePaiko
Summary: A Last Story fanfic taking place in a high school AU. So how does school go for Zael and everybody else at Lazulis High? Find out! XD
1. New in School

_This is a Last Story fanfic with a high school AU. I know they are far too old to be in high school (except maybe Yurick...XD) but let's use our imaginations and pretend they are still teens...XD. I normally don't do AUs and prefer to stick to the original story as much as possible but I decided to do something new for a change...XD...so here I am. Let's see how this turns out, shall we...XD_

_Disclaimer: I do not own The Last Story._

Zael was nervous. It was his first day of school at Lazulis High. His family had just moved to this small town and he still didn't know anyone. Students were milling about, talking rapidly and excitedly about what they did over the summer. It was how a first day of school would seem like. Nervous, loud, and complete chaos. Zael just stood awkwardly on the side with no one to talk to.

He looks down at his schedule. Math first period. Great...Just his luck. Zael starts heading for the classroom but he was too busy staring down at his schedule that he failed to notice a guy standing in the middle of the hallway. So, Zael ended up crashing straight into that guy.

"Oof." Zael grunts as his head smacks against the other boy's head. "Sorry!"

The boy pauses, looking over Zael's boring shirt, boring pants, and boring everything except for the feathers he liked to keep in his hay yellow hair. At the same time, Zael looks over the boy. His black hair was cut interestingly with the sides shaven short in an interesting zig zag pattern and the rest in a messy flop over the top and back of his head. He wore a black jacket and white shirt with jeans on. There was a smile on his face that made him seem different. It was like if he was smirking at Zael in a kind way.

"Hey, kid. You on your own?" the boy grins, looking straight into Zael's eyes with those bright golden eyes of his.

Zael nods hesitantly.

"Same as me then. Well, come on." the boy takes Zael's hand and drags him down the hallway. "My name's Dagran. I just moved here over the summer. You?"

Zael eventually found the courage to speak up. "My name is Zael...I moved here over the summer as well…"

"We're on the same boat then. What's your first class?"

Zael looks at his schedule even though he already knows. "Uh...math...with...Mr. Asthar…"

Dagran grins, holding up his schedule. "Same here. Let's go find the classroom."

A smile creeps onto Zael's face, unable to prevent himself from catching Dagran's undeniable happiness. The bell rings, sending a rush of students down the hallways.

At last, they reach the classroom they were searching for. Dagran pulls open the door and then freezes. Zael crashed into Dagran's back upon his sudden stop.

"Hey...what was that for?" Zael mumbles rubbing his head from bumping it two times in five minutes. He looks up to see who Dagran was staring at.

There was a boy sitting at a desk with his feet on the table as if nothing in the world cared to him. His hair was a brownish blackish colour, pulled back and tied into a tiny ponytail, leaving a strand of hair dangling in front of his face. He wore a vest with no sleeves and clothing that made him seem like the type of person you wouldn't want to mess around with. The boy was on his phone, texting some friends. He looks up from his phone and his gaze lands on Dagran.

He breaks into a smirk. "That stupid haircut. If it wasn't Pretty Boy Dagran."

Dagran scowls at him. "Shut it, Zoran. How many times have I told you not to call me that."

"My bad, _Pretty Boy. _But I do what I want."

Dagran ignores that last comment and goes sit down on the other side of the room, as far away as possible from Zoran.

Zael follows Dagran. "Who's he?"

Dagran frowns, a look of pain from past memories crossing his face briefly but he shakes that away and returns to his usual cocky smile. "Eh...Zoran? He and I used to go to school together. He moved a while back...kinda a coincidence how I ended up moving to the same school as him now. I just...wasn't expecting it."

"He seemed to know you very well." Zael comments sitting down next to Dagran.

Dagran frowns yet again. "He and I...we used to be...friends." He said that with such a tone that Zael decided not to press further.

Suddenly, the clatter of a chair next to them makes both of them turn their head towards the sound. A girl with messy bright orange hair was sitting leisurely in the chair next to them, watching them with curiosity in her eyes. Her clothes looked like they were tossed on randomly without any care in the world. A boy sat on the desk next to her with short blonde hair. There was a strange scar on his neck and face that made him seem almost scary. He had a goofy smile on his face that said otherwise and his clothes were just as sloppy as the girl's.

"What do you want?" Dagran asks harshly.

"Nothing!" the boy laughs. "What does it look like?"

The girl grins and leans forward. "Say...are you two new at this school?" She had a carefree tone in her voice just like the boy.

Zael nods slowly.

The girl smiles even wider. "Great! We'll show you around later, alright?"

"Wait a sec. Where are our manners. We still haven't introduced ourselves yet. My name's Lowell." Lowell gestures towards the girl. "And this crazy person here is Syrenne."

Syrenne's face darkens as she scowls at Lowell. "Who are you calling crazy!?"

One shove was all it took to send Lowell tumbling off the desk and onto the floor.

Syrenne turns and smiles sweetly at Zael and Dagran. "Where were we...right...my name is Syrenne."

Dagran nods. "My name's Dagran. Pleased to meet you."

"Zael...that's my name." Zael mumbles, his gaze on Lowell. "Are you alright?"

Lowell stands up, rubbing his aching back. "Yeah...I'll be fine. She does that so often that it would be abnormal if she didn't hurt me at least once per day. That monster..."

Syrenne scowls again. "Why you! You're the one flirting with women every day."

Lowell shrugs. "You can't blame me. It's in my blood."

"Idiot…" Syrenne mutters.

Zael laughs. It was hard not to with these people.

Syrenne looks around the room. "First thing first. You need to know these people in the class. Let me tell ya."

She points at Zoran sitting at the other side of the room. "He's-"

"We already know him." Dagran interrupts.

Syrenne blinks. "Oh...okay. Well then." She points at a girl with black hair that looked almost purple sitting near the front of the room. There was a flower in her hair and her face was buried in a book. She had a calm look of her face that was almost relaxing to watch. "Her name's Mirania. She spends her whole day in a book, only coming out for classes. She's so darn silent and nobody really knows her very well…"

She then points at a boy sitting in the darkest corner of the room. His silver hair was tied back in several braids and there was an eyepatch over one of his right eye. He was bent over his desk, writing in a book. "That over there is Yurick. He's just as silent as Mirania but unlike her, he's kinda mean. He really dislikes socializing with anyone. Never smiling, never talking unless necessary. That's him. The best student in the whole school. He's downright boring in my opinion."

Suddenly the door opens and all heads were turned as a girl walks in with silvery hair that fluttered behind her in a way that made it seem like it was shimmering with stars. She had a bright blue dress on that contrasted the somewhat sad look in her blue eyes. Her gaze wanders the room until it lands on Zael. They stare into each other's eyes, as if they were in a trance.

The gaze was interrupted by the bell ringing signaling the start of class. The girl with silver hair rushes to a seat.

"Who's that…" Zael asks, still somewhat mesmerized by her.

Lowell laughs. "Her? She's-"

The door opens up again, this time the teacher walking in.

"We'll tell you later." Lowell whispers as class started.

Zael nods but as the teacher reaches the front of the classroom, his gaze was still on the girl that had walked in earlier. He needed to know who she is later…

_A/N: That turned out a bit longer than I expected….XD...but that's a good thing...XD...not a bad thing at all. _

_So...uh...please review and tell me what you think...XD_


	2. Math the Monster

_So happy! 7 reviews for chapter! *__･゜ﾟ･__*\\(^o^)/*__･゜ﾟ･__* Thank you all! Makes me really happy and gives me motivation to keep writing...XD...I was worrying that nobody would like a last story high school AU fanfic...XD_

_Mystical Authoress: Yes Zesha and Zepha will come in later as some other students...i'm still not sure how though...XD...gothy and artistic? i get the gothy parth but artistic...not so much…_

_coldpassion: Aaah! Thank you so much!...^^...glad you like it...XD_

_Sachigo: Yurick is a bit mean at the beginning but at least he warms up to his friends later on...XD...what I really like about him is how he changes after the ship part...XD_

_Therius: I have a feeling that Dagran used to love Zoran until Zoran ditched the mercenaries to die...so...I'm bringing that into my fanfic in a way...XD...personally, i think the 'pretty boy' comment is cute...XD...and yes there will be pairings...XD...which? you'll have to wait and see...XD_

_zgirl16: XD...you sound very very excited for an update...update i shall...XD...yes zoran x dagran...XD...that's for sure...XD...and Therius will be coming up in this chapter or the next...and zesha and zepha will be in for sure...when? i dunno...XD...and you'll have to see for the zael x calista...XD...i don't ship them too much either...more zael x dagran and calista x therius...XD…_

_Wapoo: Estoy muy contenta que te gusta mi fanfiction...XD...is that right? i dunno...i do not speak spanish…^^;...took one year of spanish only...my friend, Byaku, translated that for me...and google translate_

_Cormag Ravenstaff: Yay! High school AU! All fandoms need one...XD...yes syrenne x lowell...yerp...XD_

_Disclaimer: I do not own The Last Story._

The teacher stands in front of the classroom with a huge grin that was almost creepy. His black hair was kept long and he had a small mustache beard thing that I don't know what to call nor describe it. He had a long dark blue jacket that sort of dragged across the floor as he walked. This was the type of man who seemed like he had a carefree attitude and understanding personality.

"Greetings, students." the teacher starts in a clear loud voice, one that attracted everyone's attention. "As you know, I am Mr. Asthar and I will be your math teacher for this year. I will be easygoing and nice...unless you slack off and never pay attention. This class will be fun with me but also strict and fast-paced. Don't make me mad either. I can tell you this as a fact that I like to be optimistic and I rarely get mad at anyone. But...once I do…." He trails off, leaving the class stunned in silence at his introductory speech and at how his bright cheerful voice that was full of authority suddenly changed to a dark tone with a dangerous edge.

After that quick moment, the smile was back onto his face as if nothing had happened. "Well...I'm sure all of you will enjoy this class with me even though, I must say, that math can be quite a bore at moments. But we will fight through it with courage in our hearts and defeat the monster known as 'math'."

There were grins upon student's faces upon hearing this all. They could tell that Mr. Asthar was not the normal boring teacher.

"Now, in order to defeat 'math', you must remember to be strong. Most importantly, do not trust anybody...not even me unless you know for sure it is true. You should not trust anyone other than yourself. That is a very important rule that is needed to slay the monster and an important life rule as well. So please do not cheat on homework and math tests. Do not trust that the other person's answers are correct. I will catch you and you will fail. Understood?"

Mr. Asthar's eyes rest on a few certain people in particular, Zoran being one of them.

The class continued on, doing what a normal class would do on the first day of school Classroom rules. Forms to be signed. The things they were going to cover. And so forth.

Zael was just waiting for class to end, constantly looking over at that girl with silver hair. He wanted to know who she was.

At last, the bell rang and everybody stood up to move on to their next class. Zael watched the girl stand up and start walking towards the door. He wanted to stop her and ask for her name, but he was much too nervous to do so. However, before Zael can even walk up to her, a boy stops her first, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her to the side.

He had wavy blonde hair tied into a ponytail and hair clips preventing some of his hair from falling in front of his eyes. His clothing was that of a wealthy nobleman, full of authority and power. He had a smile that was one of a spoiled boy that got everything he wanted.

"My deeeaar Calista. It's been _such_ a long time since I have last spoken to you." the boy coos.

Zael watches the scene, making sure to remember Calista's name.

Calista looks up at the boy coldly, her face not showing any emotions though Zael did catch a bit of fear and hatred. "It most certainly has, Jirall. Now, if you would let go of my arm. I have classes to attend to."

"Of course my muse." Jirall laughs. "I'll see you later."

Jirall moves to the side allowing Calista to leave. Zael could see the relief in her face as she walks away from Jirall.

Lowell catches him watching Jirall and Calista. As they walk out to their next classes, Lowell explains who they are.

"That lady you just saw is the most beautiful girl in the whole school. Her name is Calista Arganan, daughter of the principal, Mr. Arganan. I would sure love to go out on a date with her and have her as my lady but sadly, Mr. Arganan will kick me outta this school if I did. He's really protective of his only daughter.

"And the guy she was talking to. That's Jirall Rambalt, son of the wealthiest man in town. He lives in a huge mansion and has all the most luxurious things you can think of. Calista is his fiance."

Zael felt a bit dejected upon knowing that Calista was Jirall's fiance. "She didn't seem to look happy though…."

Syrenne snorts. "Huh...as if anyone could be happy with that guy. He's a stuck up pain in the arse all the time, acting like he's superior to everyone. He always brags about his stupid accomplishments that mean literally nothing...I'll like him to fight me and I'll show him how high and mighty he really is. Pity I can't otherwise I'll be in huge trouble. Though if I could...I would have done it long long ago…."

Zael blinks. "Err….right…."

They split up for their next classes. Zael had English with someone named Therius. Syrenne, Lowell, and Dagran didn't have him as their next class so they went off.

Zael walks into the classroom and sits down in a random seat as he waits for class to start. He was just sitting until a voice startles him on his left.

"Hello. Are you new at this school?" The female voice was soft and gentle, one that was kind and full of calm.

Zael turns his head to find him looking at none other than Calista herself.

_A/N: And that's it for this chapter...XD...Asthar makes math fun...XD...he would be fun to have as a math teacher. Math is such a pain in the arse...XD...jeez...autocorrect...quite changing fiance to finance….calista is not jirall's finance...XD...lolz…_

_Please review!...XD_


	3. Caged Songbird

_Which story should I work on now...there is so much i need to update...XD...and i don't have enough time for it all…\\(OAO)/...let's see...eeny meenie minie mo….okay...lazulis high it is...XD…_

_Cormag Ravenstaff: Asthar would be an awesome math teacher...XD|  
Dagran x Zoran was the first fanfic for Last Story i wrote...XD...i ship them quite a lot...i'm not so sure about including it in this story but syrenne and lowell is a definite yes..XD_

_Mystical Authoress: I also wish Asthar was my math teacher..XD|  
Hm...interesting…i was thinking for them to be more sporty than artistic but...XD...you never know..XD_

_Sachigo: Yurick is always awesome and cool...XD  
Therius would probably be a very strict teacher...XD...though i wouldn't mind if i had him as a teacher...XD_

_Therius: bleh...XD...let's pretend that in the society they are in, they can be engaged in high school..but yeah, an arranged marriage as well...XD  
Some of the pairings you listed will be in the story...some of them not...XD...which? i'm not telling you...XP_

_Disclaimer: I do not own The Last Story._

Zael stares into the blue-grey eyes of Calista in shock. A strand of hair falls in between those eyes as she tilts her head with a playful smile. She seemed a lot happier without Jirall around. It was like Calista was a beautiful songbird wanting to fly free but Jirall was the cage keeping her away from the joy of the big blue sky. Now, with the cage door open, she can fly free and sing her songs of joy until she has to return to that cage.

Zael looks around at first, wondering if Calista was talking to him. "M..me?!"

Calista laughs, a light carefree laugh. "Yes. You!"

Zael blushes at how awkward he just was. "Uhmm...yeah...I'm new here. My name is Zae...ael...ae...Zael!" He blushes even more at how his tongue wasn't working at this moment.

Calista just laughs again, amused by this. "Good to see you Zae-ael-ae-Zael." She mimics.

"Err...just Zael."

"Ok. Hi, just Zael."

"Aah...no...it's just Zael without the just."

"Mmhh...alright then, just Zael without the just."

"I...uhh...nevermind…"

Calista smiles. "Don't look so dejected. I'm just teasing you, Zael. Nice to meet you. My name is Calista, Calista Arganan."

Zael manages a small smile. "Hello, Calista. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You don't need to talk to me in such a formal way. I may be the principal's niece but I am still like any other student here. Talk to me like you would to your friends."

"Err...alright. If you say so…"

"So how is your first day of school?"

Zael smiles, feeling a bit more relaxed in Calista's presence. "I really like it and there are some really nice people."

"So you've made some friends already?"

"Yeah…"

The bell rings and the teacher, Therius walks in. His face was that of a stern, no fooling around teacher though he looked very young compared to a lot of other teachers. White curly hair covered his left eye with most of his hair was tied in a braid behind his back. He wore very formal clothing that was all white just like his hair. His bright green eye left uncovered by his hair scanned the students, shutting up any that were still talking.

He slams the books he was carrying in his arms on the desk, making some students jump in surprise. "My name is Therius and I will be your English teacher for this year. Any questions?"

Silence follows so Therius jumps straight into the educational stuff.

Zael found himself getting bored rather quickly so his eyes wandered to the students in the class. The boy, Yurick, was in this class as well. He was watching the teacher, in a somewhat entranced gaze. However, he found himself mostly staring at Calista. She was focused on Therius, taking her studies seriously.

After many long boring minutes, the class finally ended and Therius dismissed them all.

The next class went by quickly with nobody he knew in the class and soon it was lunch. Zael was kind of lost, not knowing where to go until Lowell rushed by and grabs Zael's arm, dragging him through the hallways.

"Ah! Where are you taking me!?" Zael yelps as he almost trips over his own foot.

Lowell turns and grins at Zael. "Where else? To get lunch. If you dilly dally, the lunch line is gonna get really long and you'll have to wait forever to get some stuff to eat."

Syrenne appears on the other side of Zael. "That's why ya gotta rush."

Luckily, they got to the cafeteria while the lunch line was still not overly long. Dagran was already waiting for them in the lunch line.

"Howdya get here so fast?" Lowell asks as he walks up to Dagran.

Dagran blinks. "Maybe because my last class was just right outside the cafeteria door?'

Syrenne lets out a sigh of annoyance. "Lucky, bastard. I've gotta run from the other side of the darn school."

As soon as they buy their lunches, they start looking for a spot to sit.

Syrenne grins. "Hey! Follow me, guys. I know a spot outside that nice and comfy to eat."

So they follow Syrenne, outside where they sit down under a tree in a grassy field at the back of the school.

"Aahh…a nice and peaceful spot where nobody can bother us." Syrenne sighs happily as she flops down on the grass.

They all sit down and start eating, discussing about their classes.

"I really like that Asthar guy." Lowell comments. "He's the type of bloke I want as my teacher for all my classes."

"Yeah...he seems like a nice person." Zael adds.

Lowell lays down in the grass. "Also, there is this female teacher I had last class. She's a beauty. Do you think I could get her to go out with me one day?"

Dagran almost chokes on his water. "What?!"

Syrenne kicks Lowell in annoyance. "What's up with you bastard!? You're always flirting with some girl, teacher or student."

"Well you're always sneaking into bars for a drink even though you're underage."

"You do that too!"

"...you got me there…"

Zael and Dagran merely watch with their mouths wide open in shock. Zael looks around and spots Calista not far away, sitting by herself as she eats her lunch.

He quietly gets up and heads towards Calista. "Err...hello, Calista."

Calista looks up and her face lights up immediately at the sight of Zael. "Zael! Why hello."

Zael sits down next to Calista. "You seem quite lonely eating by yourself…"

Calista sighs and looks down. "I don't really have too much friends. Jirall is very possessive of me and refuses to let me be friends with other people...my uncle too…"

"Well...uhh…" Zael looks back at Lowell, Syrenne, and Dagran. "Care to join us for lunch?'

Calista's eyes glow with joy. "Really!? Do you mean it?"

Zael smiles and stands up. "Yes I do." He holds out his hand towards Calista. "Are you coming?"

Calista's smile was genuine and full of hope. She takes Zael's hand slowly and moments later, they were running towards Lowell, Syrenne, and Dagran, with smiles on both their faces.

_A/N: Okay...I got lots of ideas for the next chapter...XD...I just needa think of more teacher ideas. I dunno who else is good for a teacher...T^T...Asthar and Therius was all I had...T^T...so...uh...dunno when I'm gonna update again...hopefully the wait wont be too long...XD_

_Please review. Tell me what you think and give me ideas for more teachers! Thank you!_


	4. Forget it All

_Taking a break from notes to write...XD...i mean, 100 pages of stupid notes is tiring...why do they have to give hw over the summer...T^T...glad to take a break from writing in pencil and instead typing on a keyboard...XD...so on with the chapter._

_Mystical Authoress: Meredith and Horace will definitely be good ideas for teachers...XD...thank you! I plan for Ariela to be a student...maybe...im not sure yet...XD_

_Cormag Ravenstaff: Thank you! I will probably use Horace and his wife as teachers...Ariela, I'm not sure...Zangurak...I have plans for him later...XD  
XD...Syrenne? AND Lowell? Starting a band? That's gonna be quite amusing...XD_

_Therius: Jeez….you always seem to be able to predict what happens next in the story and what I'm planning to do…^^;...  
And thank you for the teacher suggestions...XD...ive got plans for zesha, zepha, and zangurak...they'll appear later on in the story...XD_

_Sachigo: Thank you! XD...you're in hawaii? have fun there!_

_TriforceandSheikahArts: Captain McChuckles? That's what Syrenne called him and i always use that...XD...hmm...he would be interesting to write as a teacher...XD...thank you for a brilliant idea I just had...XD...i'll include him later on in the story...XD_

_Disclaimer: I do not own The Last Story._

Zael made his way back to Lowell, Syrenne, and Dagran with Calista by his side. Lowell was the first to notice Zael coming back.

"Zael! What's this?" Lowell smirks as he spots Calista.

Syrenne turns and the smile that appeared on her face was an exact replica of Lowell's smirk. "Why, Zael! Not bad...not bad at all…"

Calista, confused, turns to Zael. "What's this about?"

"Er….uhh…" Zael stammers, not sure how to explain this to Calista.

Syrenne scoffs. "It's such a shame that Zael's taking after you, Lowell. That's a pity."

Lowell shrugs. "I think that's a good thing. His first girl is quite a shocker though. Calista Arganan, niece of the principal. Well done! Tell me, Zael, how _did_ you do that?"

Zael sighs, facepalming at how his friends react. "Guys, it's not like that. This is a special case."

Syrenne grins. "Ah...I see...it's a 'special' case."

"No! Ugh...that's not what I meant! This is different!"

"Hm? Different ya say?"

"Ah...uhh...nevermind…"

Calista blinks. "What is going on?"

Zael gives Calista a reassuring smile. "It's nothing." He turns to his friends. "So...uh...you all know Calista. Calista, these are my friends. Lowell, Syrenne, and Dagran."

Calista turns to them and smiles warmly. "Nice to meet you."

Lowell leans towards Calista and whispers into her ear, "Watch out for Syrenne over there. She looks all sweet and innocent on the outside but she really is a monster waiting for her prey to fall into her traps. I suggest that you never trust her...never!"

Syrenne scowls and glares at Lowell darkly. "I. Heard. That!"

Lowell gulps slowly backing away from Syrenne. "Uh oh...her dark side is coming out...Calista...I suggest you run before you die as well. I've had a good life. Farewell, sweet life and to all of those beautiful ladies I've met."

Syrenne promptly gives Lowell a kick in between his legs, sending Lowell groaning on the floor in pain.

She turns and smiles sweetly at Calista. "Ignore that bastard. Pretend he's just air or some annoying bug. Pleased to meet ya."

Calista giggles. "Zael, are your friends usually this amusing?"

"Uhh….yeah...I guess." Zael sweatdrops.

Suddenly, a shout from not far away startles them all out of this happy moment. "Calista!"

Calista gasps, hiding behind Zael's arm as if to protect herself from the approaching figure. "No…"

Jirall storms over and grabs Calista by the arm. "There you are! Now come with me!" He was obviously not in a happy mood as he glares at Zael in particular. "You...stay away from _my_ Calista."

Calista struggles against Jirall's grip. "Please...Jirall...you've got it all wrong…"

Jirall pauses and then narrows his eyes at Zael. "Aah...I see how this is. Calista! How could you let yourself be seduced by such scum?!"

"Jirall! No! He didn't-"

"Hush, my muse. I won't let him lay his filthy hands on you. You are mine, not his." Jirall steps forward so that he was nose to nose with Zael. "Don't you dare even _look_ at Calista. Even your gaze can harm this delicate flower of mine."

"You seem to be harming her more with that grip of yours than by Zael's kind gaze." A male voice from behind Jirall speaks up.

"I most definitely agree. Also, your harsh words inflicts just as much harm on her as a cutting knife to cut delicious roasted ham." another soft, female voice speaks up.

Jirall turns to find himself staring at two people, Yurick and Mirania. He was left speechless, finding no words to aid him and defend himself from what they just threw at him. All he could do was glare for a while.

"Stay away from my Calista." Jirall hisses before stomping off, dragging Calista behind him.

Zael starts to go after them but Dagran stops him and shakes his head.

"You don't want to land yourself in more trouble…" Dagran says quietly to Zael. He then turns to Yurick and Mirania. "Thank you for standing up to him for us."

Yurick shrugs. "It's no big deal. In the inside of his 'I'm gonna kill you' shell, he's just a coward. I've been wanting to do that to him for a long time anyways."

Mirania nods. "He's such a horrible man."

Zael smiles at them. "Thank you very much. Would you like to sit with us for the rest of lunch."

Yurick and Mirania look at each other before nodding. "We'll love to."

So, they introduced each other and before long, they were chatting away like old friends.

Syrenne smirks and leans closer to Yurick. "Say...what do you think about that teacher Therius?"

"H...huh? What...what do you mean?" Yurick manages to stammer out, surprised by the sudden question.

Syrenne laughs. "I always saw you watching him closely in class last year and as he walks by. I've been dying to ask you about that anyways. What's goin' on between you two anyways?"

Yurick blushes. "I...I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"C'mon...spit it out already!"

"W...what?!"

Dagran sighs. "Syrenne, stop bothering him already. You're making him highly uncomfortable."

Syrenne sighs. "I was just curious!"

"Right…"

Meanwhile, Mirania was going on and on and on to Lowell about food. "I really like dark chocolate. I like the bitter taste it has unlike milk chocolate. And muffins! Strawberry is my favorite, but chocolate and vanilla are quite delicious too. Have you ever tried the fried chicken at the store 3 blocks away from the school. They are absolutely heavenly! Oh! And have you ever been to that pancake place near the chicken place! I could eat hundreds of those pancakes! Oh the toast there is wonderful too! And there's a bread shop not far from there as well. The loaves of bread are so soft and rich in flavor. I love going there and buying their delicious sourdough bread...especially when they are fresh out of the oven. They still have that crispness to them when they are fresh and each bite just makes me want to eat more and more of it. Oh...and…."

Lowell sighs and leans towards Zael as Mirania kept on going. "She doesn't look this talkative in class...but I guess once you know her….."

Zael laughs a bit and stares at Mirania's lunch. "And who knew she could eat so much…"

Dagran suddenly taps Zael on the shoulder and pulls him to the side, far enough so the others couldn't overhear.

"What is it, Dagran?" Zael asks.

Dagran frowns, a strange expression on his face. "It's about Calista. I think you ought to stay away from her like Jirall said. She's out of our league and if something bad happens, it might not just be you in trouble...you'll be putting us all in danger.

"But Calista is suffering with Jirall...I can't just leave it like that." Zael protests.

Dagran shakes head. "Zael...there's nothing we can possibly do about that...I'm sorry. Just please stay away from Calista and forget about her." There was a strange look in his eyes, like there was more to that than what he just said. But Zael could not decipher what that look was.

Reluctantly, Zael nods. "Alright…"

A look of relief covers Dagran's face along with another undecipherable expression. "Thank you, Zael."

The bell suddenly rings, signaling the end of lunch. Zael looks down at his schedule. Next class: History with someone named Horace.

Dagran looks at Zael's schedule. "Looks like you're in my class. And Mirania and Syrenne too. Let's go."

So they head off, but Zael's mind was still on Calista, even after Dagran told him to forget about her. Dagran's talk with him had made Zael think about Calista even more rather than forget. What was even more intriguing was the question of what was Dagran thinking about as Zael had talked to him…

_A/N: Whew...this chapter got quite long...I had a bunch of ideas that I wanted to make sure I got into this chapter...XD...and I got lots of ideas for the next chapter as well...XD...til then...XD_

_Please review!_


	5. That Dreaded Laugh

_Alrighty...time to get writing the next chapter...XD...i have many ideas...XD...so nya…some thing are gonna get crazy...XD…_

_Mystical Authoress: XD...Jirall deserves to be stopped by some people at times...XD...and Mirania and food...she is never complete without food...XD_

_Sachigo: Yup...that forbidden teacher-student relationship is in this story...XD...Mirania is always funny and awesome without trying to be._

_Therius: Calista has to deal with Jirall. Poor her...maybe she could fight against him and make him go away forever...maybe she could find a way to live with it...maybe she could kill him...maybe she could slap him...maybe she could actually find some sort of happiness in their relationship...maybe she ends up unable to deal with Jirall and ends up harming herself…XD so many ways to go...what will it be? XD  
XD...Mirania could probably go on forever about food...she loves it too much…_

_Cormag Ravenstaff: Yes...go fly Zael and go to the rescue...XD...that is...when and if he could fly...XD_

_E. Rose: There are gonna be surprising pairings that nobody really expects later. Sorry if I end up destroying your thought of 'what could be more perfect?'. Gomen ne._

_Tanzanite: Yeah...it's a bit early for calista to appear but i'm not gonna go according to the actual storyline...XD  
Oh yeah...Dinna and Dinis...XD...and there was a guy named Cid there too...final fantasy and their amount of 'Cid's...XD...maybe I can use them later...XD_

_Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Last Story'._

The bell had rang a minute ago as Dagran, Zael, Mirania, and Syrenne rushed into class, panting from running after realizing that they were late. Luckily, the teacher was even later than they were and had not arrived yet. All of them took a seat as they waited for the teacher to come.

Syrenne grins, plopping down next to Zael as if it was normal to come to class this late to see that the teacher isn't there yet. She scans the room and spots someone familiar. "Hey! Ariela! How ya doin'?!" she shouts across the room, causing most everyone to stare at her.

The girl Syrenne called to, Ariela, turns and waves to Syrenne. She had dull brown hair, held back by a red cloth headband. There was a friendly smile on her face, like she was always happy. Her clothing were red to match the headband.

"Syrenne! How nice to see you again!" Ariela greets as she walks over. "You haven't changed a bit over the summer." She notices Zael, Mirania, and Dagran sitting behind Syrenne. "Who's your new friends?"

Syrenne turns and looks at them. "Well...you know Mirania already…"

Mirania gives Ariela a friendly smile. "Though I doubt we've met formally yet. It's pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." Ariela looks at Zael and Dagran. "I don't think I've met them before though...nor ever seen them around."

Syrenne leans back in her chair and rests her feet on the desk. "That's 'cus they're new to this school. Meet Zael and Dagran."

Ariela smiles. "Nice to meet you two as well. Welcome to the school."

"Zael. Dagran. This is Ariela. She and I...we're great buddies." Syrenne grins, patting Ariela on the back in a friendly way.

Ariela laughs upon that. "It's probably because my father owns a bar. Syrenne's only allowed in because we're friends. Lowell too. Also, they're regular customers at the bar. Syrenne alone drinks more than any grown men there."

Syrenne lets out a laugh. "It's all thanks to Ariela that I can survive the school year...if I went all those days without a drinky, then I would die. By the way, mind if I drop in after school, Ariela? And maybe Zael, Dagran, Mirania, and Yurick as well..."

Zael sweatdrops. "Uh...it's alright, Syrenne...I don't drink…"

"I still insist you go. There's more I want to show you…" Syrenne grins mysteriously.

"What is it?"

"Not what. Who."

"Who is it?"

"You'll see. Zael, you're the type of guy this person would idolize."

Zael blushes. "M...me?!"

"Yup. You."

Dagran punches Zael in the back playfully and drapes his arm over Zael's shoulder. "You hear that? You're gonna become a celebrity."

Zael laughs. "Right. As if."

Suddenly, the door opens and the teacher comes stumbling in with a huge stack of books in his arms. The books in his arms causes him to lose his balance and sends him crashing onto the floor. He scrambles to pick them all up and rushes to the desk near the front of the classroom.

"Aaah...uhm...sorry, students, for my tardiness. I was busy reading up on some historical books and I got a bit lost in them and failed to hear the bell ring. My apologies. I will be your teacher for this class. You can call me Horace….and...uh...great! It's...uh...a pleasure to meet you all! Uh...shall we get started now?"

Syrenne chuckles as Horace starts the class. "That guys a bit of a scatterbrain...not to mention clumsy as well." she adds when Horace knocks over a cup of water on his desk.

Zael nods in agreement. "But I have to say he's quite enthusiastic when it comes to any history related items." It was obvious from the change of tone in his voice and the way his hands stopped fumbling with the edge of his shirt.

The class finally ended and they moved on to their next class. Zael had that class with Syrenne.

Syrenne groans upon seeing the teacher's name. "Ugh...I absolutely hate this guy."

Zael blinks. "Why's that?"

"Well...for one...he sounds like a know-it-all...a bossy type of that. Second, he never listens to any of our opinions and dismisses them all like swatting away a fly, always claiming his opinion is right….that bastard...and last and the worst thing about him...his laugh…"

"His laugh?"

"Yeah...you'll see…"

"How bad can his laugh be?"

Syrenne shudders just thinking about it. "Absolutely horrifying."

Yurick suddenly appears behind them both. "So I see you have him too next class. I absolutely despise that guy."

Zael tilts his head in curiousity. "His laugh...why exactly is it so horrifying?"

Yurick sighs. "You'll see…"

Syrenne nods in agreement.

As Zael walks into the classroom, he could tell that all the students here were absolutely dreading this class. Nobody seemed to like the teacher…

Like Syrenne said, the teacher looked bossy and such. But Zael was still curious. what could be so bad about the laugh?

Class finally started. There was a gloomy atmosphere in the room, like everyone wanted to be anywhere else but here.

"Welcome to my class!" the teacher starts. "I'll be expecting lots from you bunch so don't you dare start slacking off in _my_ class. No slouching, no sleeping, and no getting distracted. You'll be expecting to perform at your very best. And don't you ever dare question my methods of teaching. It is the best out of the best. I assure you. You do what I say and you listen to my words. I'm telling you...all you nasty teenagers will be transformed into wonderful scholars by the end of the school year."

Zael sighs, already despising the teacher.

"Great!" the teacher continues. "Let us begin." He ends his speech with a strange loud guffaw that made most students flinch, including Zael. There was a nasty end to the laugh that made him absolutely dread the next time the laugh came.

Syrenne groans. "See what I mean now...worst thing is, he does this laugh quite often…"

Zael sighs. "I can now see why so many people hate him…"

Syrenne nods. "I've dubbed him 'Teacher McChuckles'."

"I think it fits him well." Yurick whispers, uncovering his ears realizing the laugh was over.

Zael slumps in in his chair, dreading the rest of the class.

Teacher McChuckles looks over at Zael. "You! No slouching!"

Zael immediately sits ramrod straight. This was going to be one very long class…

_A/N: *shivers as I remember Captain McChuckles's laugh*...god that was scary….how I hated him sooooo much...so yeah...XD...they're going drinking after school...XD...that's gonna be the next chapter...this is gonna be so amusing..XD…*smirks*_

_Please review! XD_


	6. Looking for Dagran

_Augh...I'm so sorry to have neglected some fanfics for the last few weeks. First of all, I was working on another fanfic, freakishly typing out an overly long chapter for it...then, school started and i barely had any free time at all thanks to AP World where we had a huge test on the fourth day of school and i ended up cramming for the freaking test...T^T...and then i got lazy...like hecka lazy...and I don't think I will be updating much within the next few weeks or months either. I have the PSAT coming up and my parents really want me to study. So yeah...sorry for long delays in any of my fanfics._

_It's been such a long time since the last chapter...i don't blame you if you have to go back and reread what has happened in previous chapters cus i have to do that too...T^T...once again, sorry for the delay._

_Mystical Authoress: Captain McChuckles was the most annoying character in the whole game...i really wanted to kill him...XD_

_zgirl16: he survived the ogre...that's wut i remember...XD...but i could be wrong...XD  
XD...TheriusxCalista? hmm...you're giving me lots of ideas...XD…_

_Sachigo: McChuckles...that captain guy with the really annoying laugh when they raided the Gurak fortress with all the women and children…  
yurick...do something scandalous? nah...XD_

_Tanzanite: The gurak...you will find out later...XD...but i must say, your guess is a very very very close one...like...almost exactly correct...XD_

_Cucco Tetrazzini: Warren it is...XD_

_McChuckles bothered me way too much...i just wanna kill him...XD...and is Therick really that obvious? oops...wasn't trying to make it that obvious…^^;...  
nothing in the game suggests horace is often late but that's an attribute i will give to him in this fanfic. It's my choice and i can do whatever I want...XP_

_Disclaimer: I do not own The Last Story._

Zael bursts out of the classroom, along with all the other students, each of them relieved to be finally out of that classroom. He had glanced at the clock every few seconds, feeling as if time had passed in slow motion at the worst time possible. His only saving grace was that the window was right next to him, allowing him to peek outside every once in a while and let the thought of the fresh outdoor blow the class and the teacher's laugh out of his mind.

Syrenne follows after him, sprinting off to her next class already. "See ya later, Zael!"

*time skip*

At the end of the school day, Zael walks around, hoping to spot any of his new friends so they can head over to the bar Syrenne had been talking about. Just as he was about to give up hope on finding anyone in the crowded hallways, a sudden hand clamps down on his shoulder, causing him to nearly lose his balance and stumble backwards into the person whom the hand belonged to.

"Whoa! Steady there, Zael!" the already familiar voice of Lowell chuckles into his ear, a bit too close for comfort.

Zael pulls away, stumbling once more as he tries to regain his balance. "I didn't see you there, Lowell…" He notices Syrenne standing besides Lowell. "...and Syrenne…"

Syrenne grins and gives Zael a wave. "Ya seen Dagran around?"

Zael shakes his head in response, stumbling again as a rushing student bumps into him. "No. I've been looking for him and you guys...where's Mirania and Yurick?"

Syrenne snorts. "In the library of course. They're always there after school. I'll go get them so we can hurry up and drink some booze." She sprints off towards the library, turning around to shout, "You two go look for Dagran!" before disappearing in the crowds of students.

Lowell lets out a sigh as he watches Syrenne leave. "Well...we better get looking for Dagran then."

"Where do you think he could be?" Zael asks as he attempts to look over the heads of students, trying to spot Dagran in the crowds.

Lowell shrugs. "Maybe the front of the school. That's where most people go at the end of the school day."

The two of them push their way through the throngs of students milling about in the hallways, eventually reaching the front of the school. There were so many students crowded there that Zael almost gave up hope immediately at the thought of looking for Dagran here.

"Lookin' for someone?" a voice sneers from Zael's left.

Zael turns immediately, locating the person the voice belonged to. "Aren't you…umm….Zoran…"

Zoran smirks. "So ya remembered my name. Who ya lookin' for?"

"Dagran."

"I just saw Pretty boy walkin' towards the dumpsters. I dunno why. It stinks like hell there."

Lowell blinks. "I have no flipping idea why he might go there either, but come on Zael. Let's go find him."

Zael nods. "Alright." He starts to follow Lowell but suddenly stops on his tracks. His head swivels back to face Zoran. "Hey. Why do you call Dagran 'Pretty Boy'?"

Zoran grins, much like the smirks he had earlier. But it was different. It lacks the confidence and superior air it had earlier, almost a bit longing. " 'Cus that's what he is…a pretty boy..."

"Uh...right…"

"Oh!" Zoran exclaims suddenly. "I forgot to mention somethin'. Pretty Boy was with someone...that Rambalt shrimp."

Zael blinks, confused. "Jirall?'

"Yeah…"

"Why would he be with Jirall?'

"Beats me." Zoran shrugs. He opens his mouth as if to say something. After several moments of hesitation he finally speaks. "And...one more thin' I gotta warn ya 'bout Pretty Boy...I've known him for a long time...much longer than you might realize. We were….good buddies you might say. And...well...he's one sly fox. I wouldn't trust him much. An' goin' off with that Jirall...he's up to somethin'. I just know it. Just be careful alright?"

Confused and slightly worried, Zael nods and rushes after Lowell towards the dumpsters. They almost reach there just as soon as Dagran turns the corner, nearly crashing into the two of them.

"Oy! Watch i-oh. Hey, Zael...and Lowell. What's up?" Dagran smiles, not looking the least bit suspicious of doing something wrong.

"Nothing much." Lowell shrugs. "Syrenne wanted us to find you. You wanna come with us to the bar?"

"Bar?" Dagran blinks. "Well...I don't see why not."

"Great! Let's hurry up before Syrenne kicks our arses for taking too long."

Zael recalls Zoran's words about seeing Dagran with Jirall. "Hey...Dagran...why were you with Jirall?"

Dagran turns to face Zael, a confused look on his face. "Jirall? What made you think I was with him?"

"Well...Zoran said-"

"Oh. Zoran. He must be lying or he must have mistaken me or Jirall as someone else…"

"Are you s-"

"I'm quite sure, Zael. I was nowhere near Jirall…"

"Alright. If you say so…" Zael replies hesitantly. He found no signs that Dagran could have been lying. His words and confusion seemed absolutely genuine.

Lowell leans against the wall as he turns to look at the number of the people in the crowds slowly decreasing. "Well. Now that we got that all cleared up, let's go find Syrenne."

"Too late!" Syrenne chirps, appearing behind them like a ninja. "Found ya first. And I got Yurick and Mirania. They're coming with us."

Mirania tilts her head as she studies Zael. "Zael...what might you be thinking about? You look very troubled…"

Zael shakes his head to clear away the thoughts of what Zoran had said out of his mind. "Oh...it's nothing. Let's go now."

Syrenne cheers, racing out of the school and leaving Lowell to guide the rest of the group to the bar.

Lowell sighs, as he cups his hands around his mouth to shout at Syrenne. "Save some alcohol for me, Syrenne, would ya!?"

Zael, Mirania, Yurick, and Dagran all let out a chuckle as they start walking after Lowell to the bar.

_A/N: This was quite a short chapter...sorry. I could have made this longer but I really want to get it out due to the fact i haven't updated in a long time...T^T...I dunno when I'm gonna update this next time. Check my profile page for the status of each uncompleted story I've written. You can get an idea of what and when I'm gonna update there. XD. Once again, sorry for the delay in this chapter and chapters for other fanfics._

_Please review! it motivates me to write faster and more!XD_


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